That’s exactly what happened to Grammy nominated producer Yonni after speaking to Timbaland himself on the phone.

“I like this person but…I think he needs some more sounds man. The sounds are stagnant, it’s the same.”

Now it’s easy to misinterpret that and think that particular producer doesn’t have a variety of different sounds to use. Yonni explains that when you’re a high caliber music producer, you need to utilize your sounds more effectively based on your own imagination.

The key word there is “imagination”, which is the foundation of all great beats.

“We all got a lot of stuff. I got stuff that I still ain’t used yet…we get comfortable and we use similar things that we like.”

A common trait many producers have is that they get too caught up in using the same sounds over and over again for every beat they make. Sure, that particular drum or snare might sound good, but it’s too played out. You need to be a bit more creative and show your versatility. The last thing you want is to be considered a one trick pony.

Missy Elliot also chimed in and gave some great tips to Yonni.

“She felt like, if you have one track, you have another track; they both shouldn’t be the same. They both should have their own seperate life…they may sound like they’re from the same person but creatively, they should have their own breath.”

Being unique and having the ability to switch things up is the path to longevity in the music production game. We’ve all seen producers come and go, and we’ve seen producers that blatantly steal each others styles. They normally don’t last very long so take these tips on board and always put your own touch of magic on your beats.

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